{"id":4469,"date":"2016-01-12T17:57:34","date_gmt":"2016-01-12T22:57:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/?p=4469"},"modified":"2016-01-12T17:57:34","modified_gmt":"2016-01-12T22:57:34","slug":"cooks-illustrated-two-things-all-people-need-to-know-in-the-kitchen-and-two-things-to-teach-our-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/characterinkblog.com\/cooks-illustrated-two-things-all-people-need-to-know-in-the-kitchen-and-two-things-to-teach-our-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"Cook\u2019s Illustrated: Two Things All People Need to Know in the Kitchen (and Two Things to Teach Our Kids)"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/a><\/p>\n In a recent Cook\u2019s Illustrated<\/em> book, I read a \u201crule of thumb\u201d that I have long upheld for cooks in general but especially for teaching kids to work in the kitchen.<\/p>\n Their thinking (and mine) is that these two \u201cconversion skills\u201d will lead to unlimited other conversions and understanding in the kitchen. (Yes, I did love it when I read this since I have taught my kids this for twenty years!)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n FIRST, you must understand that there are three teaspoons in each tablespoon.<\/p>\n SECONDLY, you must understand that there are eight tablespoons in a stick of butter. And, by extension, each stick of butter is a half cup.<\/p>\n I know those might seem simplistic. You might even wonder what kind of cook does not know those two things…but you would be surprised!<\/p>\n Also, it isn\u2019t just knowing those two things, it is what you do with that knowledge.<\/p>\n I always taught my kids as we worked in the kitchen together. Every step was a potential lesson. Every recipe was a goldmine of potential lessons.<\/p>\n And yet, as we talk and work through our cooking and baking, the child doesn\u2019t even notice that you are \u201cteaching.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here are some things that I explained or expected\/asked my kids with these two key measurements:<\/p>\n (1)<\/strong> If 3 teaspoons is one tablespoon, 1 1\/2 teaspoons is half a tablespoon.<\/p>\n (2)<\/strong> If 8 TBSP is in a stick of butter, a half a stick of butter is 4 TBSP.<\/p>\n (3)<\/strong> If a stick of butter is a half a cup, two sticks is one cup.<\/p>\n (4)<\/strong> If a stick of butter is a half a cup, half a stick of butter is a fourth of a cup.<\/p>\n (5)<\/strong> If a half a stick of butter is fourth of a cup, four tablespoons is a fourth of a cup.<\/p>\n (6)<\/strong> If a stick of butter is a half of cup and two sticks is a full cup, then a full cup has 16 tablespoons in it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n And on and on and on….<\/p>\n You\u2019ve heard me say it a thousand times (if you have read much of my material): we have the opportunity to teach all the time.<\/p>\n We have the opportunity to teach our kids how to learn as they go.<\/p>\n We have the opportunity to teach our kids to use what they already know to unlock even more.<\/p>\n It just so happens that Cook\u2019s Illustrated<\/em> agrees with me\u2014and they are like REAL experts! \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Want to learn how to cook yourself? I mean, really learn about cooking? Check out Cook\u2019s Illustrated<\/em> amazing book. <\/a>(affiliate link)<\/p>\nCook\u2019s Illustrated:<\/a> Two Things All People Need to Know in the Kitchen<\/h2>\n
That is, 3 tsp=1 TBSP*<\/h2>\n
That is, 1 stick=8 TBSP=1\/2 cup<\/h2>\n